Gas-phase reactor and system having exhaust plenum and components thereof

Abstract

An improved exhaust system for a gas-phase reactor and a reactor and system including the exhaust system are disclosed. The exhaust system includes a channel fluidly coupled to an exhaust plenum. The improved exhaust system allows operation of a gas-phase reactor with desired flow characteristics while taking up relatively little space within a reaction chamber.

We claim: 
     
       1. A gas-phase reactor comprising:
 a reaction chamber comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, a sidewall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface and around a periphery to define an interior region between the top surface, the bottom surface, and the sidewall; 
 a susceptor fixedly attached within the interior region such that the susceptor is not moved to load or unload substrates, the susceptor comprising a side perimeter; 
 an opening extending through a first portion the sidewall and around less than all the periphery to receive a substrate to be placed on a top surface of the susceptor; 
 a channel formed by an annular space between the side perimeter and the sidewall, wherein a width between the side perimeter and the sidewall is greater than 0 mm and less than 4 mm; and 
 a plenum having a shape selected from the group consisting of a substantially hollow cylinder, a toroid, a hollow square, and a hollow rectangle formed within the reaction chamber, a width of the plenum spanning between the sidewall and a plenum side surface formed within the bottom surface, the plenum fluidly coupled to the channel, 
 wherein a bottom surface of the plenum comprises a first opening coupled to a first vacuum source, 
 wherein the bottom surface of the reaction chamber comprises an opening apart from the first opening to receive a portion of the susceptor, 
 wherein a gas flows from a gas distribution system to the channel and then to the plenum and; 
 wherein a height of the plenum ranges from about 5 to about 25 mm, an inside diameter of the plenum ranges from about 79 mm to about 99 mm and an outside diameter of the plenum ranges from about 334 mm to about 374 mm. 
 
     
     
       2. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the width between the side perimeter and the sidewall is between about 0.5 mm and about 4 mm. 
     
     
       3. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 1 , further comprising a second vacuum source fluidly coupled to a second opening in the bottom surface. 
     
     
       4. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 3 , further comprising a control valve fluidly coupled between the first vacuum source and the plenum. 
     
     
       5. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 3 , wherein the second vacuum source comprises a turbomolecular pump fluidly coupled to the plenum. 
     
     
       6. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the opening in the reaction chamber to load and unload substrates is upstream of the channel. 
     
     
       7. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 1 , further comprising a showerhead gas distribution system within the reaction chamber. 
     
     
       8. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 1 , wherein the plenum is machined within a bottom portion of the reaction chamber. 
     
     
       9. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 1 , wherein a shape of the plenum is substantially a hollow cylinder. 
     
     
       10. A gas-phase reactor system comprising:
 a gas-phase reactor comprising:
 a reaction chamber comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, a sidewall having an upper end at the top surface and a bottom end at the bottom surface, and an interior region formed between the top surface, the bottom surface, and the sidewall and an opening extending through the sidewall between its upper end and its bottom end to receive substrates, wherein the bottom surface comprises a first opening coupled to a first vacuum source; 
 a susceptor within the interior region, the susceptor comprising a side perimeter, wherein a bottom of the opening is coplanar or above a top surface of the susceptor; 
 a channel formed between the side perimeter and the sidewall, wherein a width between the side perimeter and the sidewall is greater than 0 mm and less than 4 mm and wherein the channel extends about the entire side perimeter; and 
 a plenum having a width spanning between the sidewall and a plenum sidewall formed within the bottom surface, the plenum having a shape selected from the group consisting of a substantially hollow cylinder, a toroid, a hollow square, and a hollow rectangle formed within the reaction chamber, the plenum fluidly coupled to the channel within the interior region and beneath the susceptor, the plenum fluidly coupled to the channel defined between the side perimeter and the sidewall; and 
 
 one or more gas sources coupled to the gas-phase reactor, 
 wherein the bottom surface further comprises an opening apart from the first opening to receive a portion of the susceptor, and 
 wherein a height of the plenum ranges from about 5 to about 25 mm, an inside diameter of the plenum ranges from about 79 mm to about 99 mm and an outside diameter of the plenum ranges from about 334 mm to about 374 mm. 
 
     
     
       11. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 10 , wherein the width between the side perimeter and the sidewall is greater than 0.5 mm and less than 4 mm. 
     
     
       12. The gas-phase reactor of  claim 10 , wherein the channel is configured to control a gas flow over a surface of a substrate by restricting flow to the plenum.